Juno nominees dream of hanging with The Weeknd and tackling Drake

"Look at me, I can't stop smiling! ... I've never been so excited in my life. This is better than my baby being born!" With more than 90 newbs included in the 2013 list of Juno Awards nominees, The Strumbellas' Simon Ward speaks for many acts planning their first-ever Juno trip this April -- give or take a few exclamation points.

"We were trying to be cool about it, but I don't think it really worked," adds his bandmate David Ritter. The Toronto group, who's up for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year, gathered at the Design Exchange downtown to learn they're up for an award. "We were visibly moved and excited," Ritter says.

"Yeah," adds Ward. "I grabbed his bum when it happened I was so excited."

We'll leave it to Justin Bieber to Tweet what exactly he might have done, or grabbed, to celebrate his four fresh Juno nominations. The same applies to Carly Rae Jepsen -- who happens to lead this year's pack with five nods, four of those putting her in competition with her teenaged, U.S. label boss: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (Kiss), Single of the Year (Call Me Maybe), Pop Album of the Year and Juno Fan Choice.

In addition, Jepsen will play the April 21 broadcast -- a detail revealed during Tuesday morning's nominations announcement -- and Billy Talent, Marianas Trench and host Michael Buble will also feature on the bill. (More announcements are expected to be made in the coming weeks.)

Jepsen came out of nowhere for many pop fans in 2012, but the Vancouverite's history with the Juno Awards goes back a few years; in 2010 she was up in the songwriting category as well as New Artist of the Year. And as Jepsen could tell you, a lot of things can change in that short time. That New Artist of the Year category, for instance, no longer exists in 2013 -- at least in name. As revealed while the nominations were being called, the category has been rebranded "Breakthrough Artist of the Year." (The same labelling switch-up applies to the "Breakthrough Group of the Year category, perhaps ending the tradition of reporters commenting on how best new artist nominees are hardly overnight successes. A shame.)

Kira Isabella, the Ottawa country singer who spent the first part of 2013 sharing stages with Carrie Underwood -- and who begins touring with another country superstar, Terri Clark, in March -- is among this year's contenders for Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Her competition is a diverse lot: Cold Specks, Elisapie, Grimes, The Weeknd. She's veritably twitching to meet them all.

"I'm so excited, so honoured to be repping for country," says Isabella. "Last year," she says, thinking back to 2012's Juno broadcast in her Ottawa hometown," I got to sot of sit on the sides, but this year I want to meet as many artists as possible!" First up: double-nominee The Weeknd. "Well, if he shows up."

Other honourees rolled in to the nominations press conference with a full crew of friends. Louis-Jean Cormier, of the Juno-winning band Karkwa, is nominated for Francophone Album of the Year (Le treizieme etage); he was making the rounds with a pal and fellow-nominee, Marie-Pierre Arthur (Aux alentours). "He played guitar on my record," explains Arthur. (And, says Cormier, he also worked on another album in their category by Lisa Leblanc.) "I'm feeling very proud," says Arthur. "There are a lot of great albums by French artists," she says, and best of all, "we all know each other." Royal Wood, the singer-songwriter who was last up for a songwriter of the year Juno in 2011, also looks at his 2013 nomination -- for Adult Alternative Album of the Year -- as an honour, yes, but it’s an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and fellow nominees: Danny Michel, Rose Cousins, Bahamas.

Any and all further reunions will be happening in Regina, 2013's Juno Awards destination. Following a week of events -- split between Regina and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan April 15 - 21 -- CTV's annual broadcast of the show will take place Sunday, April 21 at Regina's Brandt Center. Michael Buble will host; and reporters were told last year’s Album of the Year winner (Christmas) was busy in L.A. Tuesday morning, taping a segment for the Juno show.

When it’s time to go live, the Strumbellas best hope they accomplish their Juno wish before the cameras roll. "I'm going to tackle Drake to the ground, soon as I see him," says Ward. "Just to say I tackled Drake."

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